Don’t worry -- you’ll be wealthy one day. It’s all a matter of working hard, cutting down on the spending, and investing wisely. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change that fact that you’re tired, stressed out, and need a weekend away to relax right now.

Luckily, that doesn’t require a whole lot of money if you plan everything just right, from the destination to the accommodation and all the cost-cutting measures in between. Here are a few tips to make sure you have a wonderful time without breaking the bank.

Enjoy Nature

What do the sea, the forest, and the mountains have in common? Besides being breathtakingly beautiful, they’re all free and open to visitors year round. The best reason to go, however, is the sheer excitement of hiking, surfing, rock-climbing, or the dozens of other activities you have to choose from in the great outdoors, and there’s little temptation to spend, spend, spend like you would on a trip to the city, where shopping and restaurants are the norm.

Find Cheap Lodging

This usually makes up the bulk of your expenses when traveling, especially if you stay at hotels. However, there are more options now than in the past. You could rent a room, apartment, or entire house via Airbnb or check into a youth hostel, which may provide beds for everybody in your group. Don’t rule out hotels completely as deals can be found, particularly during the offseason. If Airbnbs and youth hostels aren’t your thing and you really want a hotel, search for coupons and cashrewards from websites like Hotels.com to help keep expenses in check.

Use Airfare Hacks

You can score some budget plane tickets if you’re willing to learn a few technological tricks and get a little sneaky, according to a writer with lifestyle magazine Self. A service called Skyscanner alerts you whenever flights drop in price, while searching for tickets in incognito mode keeps aggregators from raising prices on your second or third visit to check rates. You can also use more traditional means of saving money by looking for package offers and promotions from companies like Priceline, which can help you out when you’re on a budget.

Cut Car Costs

Getting around is another major expense, but the traveling experts at TripSavvy have 12 ways you can spend less on your rental wheels, with the first one being to comparison shop for the best rates. Other tips include avoiding hidden fees, refusing extras and staying away from agencies at the airport, who charge an arm and a leg. Sometimes, however, you just need to rent a car, and companies like Enterprise frequently offer deals and extra savings that can prevent you from spending way too much on a set of wheels.

Take Public Transport

Of course, you could forget about a rental car and take public transport to save a bit of cash on the road. That depends on where you go and what the schedules are like as you don’t want to spend your whole weekend waiting for a bus or train. There are distinct benefits to this form of travel, though. You’ll get to see more sites and interact with the locals.

Try Camping

The cheapest place to stay is outside. Thanks again to the wonders of modern technology, there’s no trouble at all finding campsites wherever you go, and outdoor recreation website Wide Open Spaces has provided a review of six apps that do the legwork for you. The drawback is you’ll have to buy a tent and sleeping bags if you don’t have them already. Sites like RetailMeNot can help yousave some money if you need to grab some gear.

Prepare Your Own Meals

This probably isn’t an option if you’re staying in a hotel, but should pose no problem at all at youth hostels or home rentals, which is another point in their favor. Not only will this save you money on restaurants, but it’ll also give you an excuse to check out the nearby farmers market and try your hand at a local dish. Don’t have any gear? Read up on the best tools and utensils you’ll need if you plan to do some cooking on the go.

Traveling doesn’t have to drain your entire bank account as long as you plan ahead. Once all that’s settled, it’s time to pack your bags and get ready to go. Happy trails!

​You can travel more inexpensively by snagging flights with unsold seats and booking hotels when rates are low. Here are a few tips.

1. Check out airfare charts to pinpoint when to go. Fares vary day to day, depending on demand. Websites of carriers — including Delta, Southwest and United — show the cheapest days to fly if your dates are flexible. (It’s often best to go on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, when most business and leisure travelers don’t.) To cast your net wide, punch in departure and arrival cities and a time frame on websites such as Skyscanner or Google Flights. They survey multiple airlines to show the most economical days to travel.

2. Set up fare alerts. If you don’t have firm dates, sign up for a price alert. You can do that on websites such as AirfareWatchdog to be informed when seats cost less. When you search for flights on Kayak, it will advise whether it’s a good time to buy or if fares are expected to go down. You may also sign up for email notification of discounts on many travel websites. One of the best newsletters for current offers comes from Travelzoo, a clearinghouse for discounted flights, hotels, and air and lodging packages.

3. Use frequent-flier airline miles to take off. If flights aren’t filled, carriers may offer more award seats close to departure. Carriers such as Southwest and JetBlue have eliminated blackout dates in loyalty programs, meaning if a seat is available, you can grab it using points. An impromptu round-trip ticket booked in July from Baltimore to Albany, N.Y., costs 15,000 miles on Southwest, plus $11 tax. The cash price would have been $400. It pays to periodically review your miles and expiration dates so that you don’t lose travel that’s nearly free.

4. Use an online travel assistant to do the searching for you. The Hipmunk site is a great source for travel steals. Its new “Hello Hipmunk” feature, which uses artificial intelligence, lets you email what you want (a quick getaway to Vegas, for instance). Within seconds, you’ll be given options for flights and hotels. Hipmunk then sends users to sites including JustFly and CheapoAir to book. It also ferrets out Airbnb rentals in your chosen destination.

5. Pay less for rentals. Owners don’t want properties to sit vacant, so it’s possible to obtain lower last-minute rates via sites such as Airbnb, FlipKey, VRBO and HomeAway.com, where you deal directly with homeowners or property managers. Sometimes you needn’t negotiate: Sale rates for certain rentals are shown.6. Save On Hotels. Have points in hotel loyalty programs? Book a free stay along the way. Or bid for low rates at Priceline.com to score a deal, though you won’t know the name of the property until you book. Priceline’s “Express Deals” don’t reveal the hotel, but also don’t require bidding. If extreme last-minute planning suits you, HotelTonight has access to unsold rooms and can put you into one cheaply the day you wish to stay. You can book up to a week before through its website or app.

7. Last-minute cruises. When ships don’t sell cabins, prices sink. However, now that cruising is so popular, rock-bottom prices are scarcer. This summer, Alaska sailings sold out fast. Sailings everywhere now fill faster, so booking early is a smart move. There was a seven-day Mediterranean cruise from Savona, Italy, in October on the Costa Pacifica for $392.60 a person, double occupancy, including taxes and fees. “Last Minute Cruise Deals” on the website are worth checking out if you are flexible.

8. Go one-stop shopping at Last Minute Travel. Whether seeking a vacation destination, flight, cruise, air and hotel package, or rental car, you’ll find it at the Last Minute Travel site. The website offers “Undercover Hotels” at rates below the norm (you won’t know the lodging name until you book). Join the Last Minute Travel Club for $50 a year to nab even lower prices; if you don’t save what you paid to join, you’ll get a promo code for discounts to make up the difference.

CruisesIf the destination is less important than the experience, head to the Caribbean, which accounts for more than one third of all cruise-ship travel from the U.S. A recent Norwegian Cruise Line’s four-night Bahamas trip, available 10 days before departure on Last Minute Travel.com, went for $348 a person (a 27% savings).If you’re looking for a luxury cruise, call the expertsCruise-savvy agents can also negotiateextras such as prepaid gratuities, Internet, and shipboard credits.Booking sweet spot: 2-4 weeks

Lastminutetravel.comLast Minute Travel specializes in discounts on flights, cars, hotels, cruises, etc. And if you're unsure of where you want to go, and just know you want to get the heck out of dodge, they have a "deals" tab that highlights super cheap last minute trips. For travel next weekend, we saw a four-star hotel in the Central Park area of New York City from just $164 per night with taxes. (Tack on an “Everything Chocolate” tour for $49 per person.) Less luxurious hotels are offered from $72 per night with taxes.A couple of caveats: In several searches, the actual price (particularly for hotels) was higher than the initial advertised offer — it all depends on your travel dates. Also, a la Priceline, the site doesn’t reveal the name of your hotel until after you book. You will be shown its neighborhood, star rating and amenities. However, there is a tab to see the name of the hotel on Last Minute, but the prices are just a little higher than the mystery hotels.

Priceline.comPriceline has a "Great Last Minute Deals" section that features, well, great last minute deals. At the time of typing this, there's a flight from Baltimore, Maryland to Los Angeles, California for $150! That's crazy!

Living Social EscapesLiving Social falls into the "flash site" category (as does Groupon). Find random, last minute (really good) deals on places you might not have thought about going to.

JetsetterAnother flash site except this one specializes in travel. You need to sign up for Jetsetter (it takes 2 seconds), but there are truly awesome deals for places both in your area and beyond.

OrbitzAnother big travel website that has a "Deals" tab. Actually, right now, they're having a "winter hotel sale" that offers deep discounts on warm weather destinations. Fifty-five percent off on hotels in the Caribbean? Yes, please.

American AirlinesEvery week, American Airlines offers a variety of Net SAAver Weekend Getaway fares, including domestic fares for both this weekend and the next, and international fares for the next weekend. (From the airline’s Web site, click on Travel Deals and then Sale Fares.) These deals are a good bet for travelers who simply want a last-minute airfare rather than a full-out package (perhaps you don’t need to book lodging because you’re staying with a friend, or you’d rather rent an apartment than stay in a hotel).American isn’t the only airline peddling last-minute fares; check your favorite carrier’s Web site to see what’s available.

CheapCaribbean.comIf you have a specific destination in mind, your best bet is often to focus on a Web site that deals with one region specifically. CheapCaribbean.com has a last minute area on its Web site that offers low-cost packages set to expire quickly. However, though you can’t hem and haw about whether or not to go, you will often have plenty of time to plan — some packages can be booked for travel several months out.

Use apps to your advantage. It's never been easier to score a room at short notice—and at a bargain.

It can be hard to deduce which days offer up the best airfare deals, which is whereHoppercomes in. The data-analyzing app will alert you when fares for your desired route have hit their predicted low point. Hopper lays out all of the prices in an easy-to-follow, color-coded calendar. If you want a cheaper itinerary and have a flexible schedule, check out the calendar boxes shaded green. If you're booking a domestic trip, shifting your travel dates from red (the most expensive) to green can save you an average of 16%.​Pioneering appHotelTonighthelps out truly last-minute guests by offering heavily discounted rates on properties until as late as 2 A.M. on check-in day.

Roomer fills another market need by selling off the prepaid reservations of travelers who had to cancel and want to recoup some of their losses.

If you are looking for a less expensive way to travel and are adventuresome, try volunteering in another country. There are a few organizations that have programs with reduced fees that include housing, three meals a day, travel insurance coverage, airport pickup, in-country orientation and some tours. You usually have to provide your own transportation to the country, personal expenses, and visa (if required). The requirements usually are: Min age 18, basic English, good physical fitness, full medical insurance, and immunizations. Each program has a different age restriction. There are specific programs for teens and seniors. Also, the time you are required to spend in the country varies by program. Accommodations vary from cabins to dormitory type buildings. All houses have a communal area where you can eat, relax meet fellow participants or use the free Wi-Fi. No alcohol is permitted in any of the houses. Accommodation during teaching placements: volunteers stay in accommodations arranged by their specific school placement. Some schools cover the cost of these accommodations for their teachers, where others may take a small amount from your paycheck to cover the cost of these accommodations. GoEco is one of the organizations that work with volunteers. They look for people that are enthusiastic about making the world a better place, independent and determined to work hard, and open-minded about new cultures and experiences. They want to provide volunteers from around the world with exciting and meaningful experiences abroad, while giving much needed assistance to communities which suffer from harsh circumstances and benefit greatly from the services of our volunteers. You have a variety of countries to choose from including: Africa, Central America, Asia, South America, Europe, and Australia. They also categorize experiences into: wildlife, conservation, education, internships, development, medical, senior, teenage, family. One of the programs is a South African Photography and Conservation Program. The length of time ranges from 4 to 8 weeks. The mission is wildlife photography and conservation education. The cost starts at $2950 for four weeks. Here is testimonial from one of the volunteers that went on this adventure. "I feel I have achieved a lot on a personal level. This is mainly because I had never travelled to this part of the world or lived in this kind of environment before. I have learnt a lot about photography, a new culture and country. They have also allowed me to challenge myself and I shall leave feeling a little more self-confident and happy I achieved many new happenings in such a short space of time; safe in the knowledge that I can have an incredible time and hopefully give something back to a situation, despite initially feeling very nervous and apprehensive about what lies before me."- Kirsty, Photography and Conservation Volunteer

It is recommended that you apply at least 4 months prior to when you want to travel. For more info visit: goeco@goeco.org